Rarely Seen 'Asian Unicorn' Caught on Camera

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One of the most secretive creatures on Earth — the saola — has
been photographed in Vietnam for the first time in 15 years.

Scientists first discovered the saola in 1992 in Vietnam near the
country's border with Laos. It was the first large mammal new to
science in more than 50 years. But since its discovery, the
elusive creature has rarely been seen in the wild, earning it the
nickname the "Asian unicorn" (even though it has two long horns
instead of one).

"When our team first looked at the photos we couldn't believe our
eyes," Van Ngoc Thinh, head of the WWF in Vietnam, said in a
statement. " Saola
are the holy grail for Southeast Asian conservationists so there
was a lot of excitement. This is a breath-taking discovery and
renews hope for the recovery of the species."

Though the beast is more closely related to wild cattle, it
resembles an antelope with two sharp horns that can reach up to 4
feet (1.2 meters) in length.

The last time a saola was spotted in the wild was 1999, but it
hasn't been seen in Vietnam since 1998. In 2010, villagers in the
Laos province of Bolikhamxay
caught a saola, but the animal died shortly after capture.

WWF conservationists say they are working with Vietnamese
partners to protect saolas from illegal hunting.

"Saola are caught in wire snares set by hunters to catch other
animals, such as deer and civets, which are largely destined for
the lucrative illegal wildlife trade," Van Ngoc said. He added
that 30,000 snares have been removed from the saola habitat since
2011 and more than 600 illegal hunters' camps have been
destroyed.

"Confirmation of the presence of the saola in this area is a
testament to the dedicated and tireless efforts of these forest
guards," Van Ngoc said in a statement.

Scientists suspect that no more than a few hundred or a few dozen
saola exist in the wild, but they have not been able to come up
with a precise population estimate. The species is listed
as critically
endangered by the International Union for Conservation
of Nature.